Niho Scottish Gardens residents up in arms against its AOA

The tension is palpable in the residential society of Niho Scottish Gardens in Ghaziabad, where residents and office bearers of the AOA are on a collision course over alleged discrepancies in society accounts and violations of the UP Apartment Act, 2010.

On Sunday, many residents congregated at the main entrance of the society and shouted slogans against the AOA members and alleged that it was overcharging residents for water, collecting an extra amount than was to be paid to Ganga Water Authority. The authority only demanded maintenance charges, whereas the AOA had also collected a water connection charge, residents allege.

One of the residents who participated in the protest complained to City Spidey that AOA was also collecting high amount of maintenance and electricity charges. The current year’s accounts of the society were also hidden from the residents, he alleged. Another complaint of the residents was that the AOA did not present the balance sheet to residents at a general body meeting, as was required by the rules.

Saket Ranjan, a protesting resident, told City Spidey that “we have already complained to the Ghaziabad Development Authority and the Deputy Registrar’s office, after the AOA failed to respond to our queries”. There were also discrepancies in the election procedure, he alleged.

AOA members, however, flatly denied all allegations and dubbed them frustrated rants by disgruntled elements who had lost the AOA elections.

DK Maurya, president of the AOA, told City Spidey that a few of those protesting residents were close to the builder.

The election preparations were made in the presence of the police, who were present till the winner was announced, Maurya said, adding that “we had responded to all their queries too”.

Maurya launched a counter attack against the residents, saying that a few of them had misbehaved with the security staff and that a complaint had been lodged with the local police station.